OK, no one is allowed to chastize me for this!
I was on the Max Train, on the way to the Bank; there'd been fraud on my Debit Card. I was having this delightful conversation, with another woman, about a street girl that had just been sitting on the floor in the car; she'd gotten off.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a very short Hispanic man get on the train with his bike. The normal place for Bikes was full, and under transit rules, he is allowed to put his bike with the general population if that is so.
A couple stops later, this very stalky American guy with a Harley Davidson Jacket got on with an Indian National, and the first thing the the American guy did was to order the Mexican off the train. I blanked out. The next thing I was conscious of was that I was standing in front of the American; confronting him in the sternest of terms.
"I am not going to allow you to bully another human being", I told him. He tried to push me aside, but I did not let him, and we wound up nose to nose. This went on for a while and then it looked like he was going to hit me. "Go ahead and hit me, you Red Neck!", I foolishly said.
I don't recall any sort of Adrenaline rush; no shaking; no shrill voice. He said to me, "Are you going to stop me?" and I said, "I served in the Military so that no one could do this to another human being."
"You are not a Vet!"
It did not take but a second to get my VA Card out and to show it to him.
A younger man came and said that the American should just leave the Mexican alone.
He then stood and stared at me with a really angry expression on his face. "What are you going to hit me?"
"No, that is probably how you are used to a man treating you." (God, he got that right, it was unnerving).
He eventually stopped harrassing the Mexican man. I don't think the Mexican spoke much english. I think he had already experienced enough pain from Red Necks that he was used to it.
In a daze, I found my seat again. I sat there wondering if I was crazy or suicidal?
I already know that what I did was way stupid. Would I do it again?
Gwen
Comments
Brava Khadijah
Good for you, girl. I admire your ba... um, courage.
Angharad
Angharad
If he'd kissed me.....!!!!
Gad, what am I saying????
As I sat with a group of people last night discussing the incident and a book called, "The God Delusion", I suddenly realized that rather than hit me, if he had just grabbed me by the shoulders and kissed me, it would have blown all my fuses!!!
Geeze, maybe I need to be locked up some place warm and safe?
:)
Khadijah
Bravo
RAMI
Bravo. But what is a Max Train? Where is it? How did you identify the nationalities?
RAMI
RAMI
Max Train
The Max is the light rail system in Portland OR.
Mexicans are easy to identify, they wear sombreros and speak Mexican! :p
Actually, there is a large Mexican diaspora in Portland, it is on the West Coast after all.
Though, I often confuse people from Mexico with people from the Philippines, they really do look alike and they both have Spanish sounding names too.
Mr. Ram
Knowing you as I do,
I have no doubt that you would do it again, but be careful hon. Unless you were "packing," it was somewhat foolish to brace a guy who had an attitude and was twice your size. Next time, maybe get the driver of the train, or enlist some help from other riders on the train?
I'm not saying that you were wrong. Just saying you need to be aware of your limitations. To paraphrase Clint Eastwood; "A woman's gotta know her limitations."
Love you, hon.
Cathy
As a T-woman, I do have a Y chromosome... it's just in cursive, pink script.
Go girl!
(Take 3 - at least I copied and pasted this time so I didn't need to rewrite!)
You weren't necessarily stupid - you were brave to stand up to him. And better still, you kept your cool, didn't let him intimidate you, and didn't fight back. If anything, you may have unintentionally intimidated / surprised him - after all, it's not every day people stand up to bullies like him, let alone females... who happen to carry VA cards :)
What's the worst that could have happened? It's a crowded carriage, so he would have been unlikely to have pulled out a weapon (too obvious, high chance of collateral damage, if he'd used one and hurt someone he'd be in legal trouble...). If he'd hit you (as opposed to shoved you out of the way) or anyone else, it would almost certainly have 'woken up' the rest of the passengers from their default stance of "It's somebody else's problem...nothing to do with me...I'll just pretend nothing's happening." and at the very least their stares would have acted as a great incentive not to do anything else potentially stupid.
Heck, if only the toy makers could use examples like yours to produce a new range of "poseable action figurines" - they'd be a much better role model for youngsters than Barbie or Bratz.
(And before anyone asks, this is my normal level of insanity. I haven't touched the wine yet...honest!)
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
Dear sweet adorable sister....
...I couldn't think of anything to add that hasn't already been said other than that I am proud of you! Perhaps this might serve to say what I can't...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wkxAmQo-Vw
Dio benedica la mia bella amici
Love, Andrea Lena
Thank you very much.
I rather like, "I ain't ready to make nice". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHH8bfPhusM
I must say that it has been a really strange couple of "weaks" and I have been nearly hysterical and do not know why. Dare I go through the litany?
I am very worried about my "daughter" as she gets ready to marry a very nice Jordanian man in 7 days. I want her to be happy, but it will break my heart to see her go live in BC.
For some strange reason, I can not attract men; don't know how to flirt; but have several College age women as friends. Go figure. Some of them often refer to me as "Mom". ?!?!?!?
There have been changes at the VA in my volunteer job and it hurt me a lot. They say it will be OK, but I have been through so much in the last few years that I am healthyly paranoid. If their gonna kill me, I am gonna spit in the face of my killer!
My friends, all want me married, and I am waaaayyyyy beyond frightened. They all say that I am vivacious, peppy, sunny, loving and a whole bunch of other warm fuzzy stuff. Finally at 3:00 AM one morning, I decided that I would date, but it would be on my terms. My Daughter's fiance is a personal adviser, and he (who does not "know" insists that he will find me a husband.) So far, he has recommended me to a 75 year old gentleman, and in the calmness of pre sleep, I decided that I would explore a relationship with him further. This is all very frightening to me and Allah SWT knows that I have already experienced so much rejection.
So, in thinking about everything, since I made the decision to move ahead with seeking a husband, I feel much less PMS'y.
Any time I say I have been through so much, it should go without saying that I know that there are hundreds of other sisters who have suffered greatly.
Ma Salaalama
Khadijah
I am proud of you - You always help or surprise me
Masah al khair, Khadijah.
I am so proud of you. Whether you blanked out or not you stood up for what is right. So many would have looked the other way. It's nearly a worn out phrase but Edmund Burke said:
You, are a "vivacious, peppy, sunny, loving and a whole bunch of other warm fuzzy stuff." More than that you have proven yourself to be a reliable friend. A source of MUCH needed information. You have proven yourself to be a good woman. You should be very proud of what you did. Yes, it might have gotten you hit. Al hamdu lillah that didn't happen. No one can take away from you the fact that you stood up for what is right.
Khadijah, I am very proud to know you. Ya done good.
As for a man? Mafi mushkili. Consider, you are well, you are a good woman, you are all those warm fuzzy thingies. What man could resist?? But 75 years old? Inshallah.
Tosbeheena sadiqati, ma'a as-salÄmah,
Omi-Robbie (Beth)